What it takes
by Azahkhiel
Summary: It took three rings before the call was answered. "I've finished the job, Nono."


_The sound of flesh squelching and tearing invaded his ears as a strangled cry of pain came from the body he held against his, warm blood and lumpy flesh invading his senses before pulling his hand out of the body he had just impaled, eliciting a weak groan and quiet scuffling as the man's large and bulky form fell forward and slumped against him, a large amount of blood to spurting out of the gaping hole in the man's body and stain his clothes a bright red. Tsuna released his hold on the target, adding a little bit of a push forward as he did so, and watched the man fall backward with almost rapt interest as the man's lifeblood continued to flow out of his body, staining the cold concrete below a deep colour of red and polluting the air with that sickening metallic smell that he was slowly growing accustomed to._

_The man seemed to struggle, attempting to move with what little strength he had left with all the blood loss and painting the concrete even redder with his movements, as he made an attempt to turn over to his stomach – probably to crawl away and escape; if he was even able to turn over, that is. But he was already gravely wounded, the blood loss simply adding to that fact, and the man only managed to turn ever so slightly before he fell back down onto the ground, body twitching as ragged breaths quickly turned shallow and slowed. _

_Tsuna watched the man before him, a blank look painted on his face as he watched the man's movements came to a halt, watched as the violently heaving chest slowed down and falter until it finally stopped, watched as the life gradually faded in those desperately pleading eyes and became dull orbs staring into nothingness. He watched as the man finally died._

_He stood there for a moment, for how long he wasn't too sure, but when he finally did, the first thing he had done was to let out a quiet breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them he averted his gaze from the now dead man sprawled in front of him to watch what little view of the starless night sky he could see from the space between the two buildings that created the small alley he was standing in. He stayed like that for a few minutes, face still completely void of any trace of emotion that could give away his thoughts, and ignored the disgusting feeling of still warm blood seeping into his clothes, soaking them in sticky wetness and making them cling to his body; as if it was attempting to stain him as a whole, the blood seeping into his skin, dying all the layers until it was nothing but the bright, blood red of his victim's – his target's – and paint him a bloody red for all to see who he was, what he was and what he did for a living._

_A small twitch at the corners of his lips seemed to snap him out his reverie and he schooled his features back into the usual blank mask, his lips returning into a thin line, before he moved towards the dead man, stopped at his side and kneeled. He placed a hand – the clean, bloodless one – onto the man's neck, right at the point where the man's pulse should be, only to find none and quietly withdrew his hand from the man's neck and reached out towards the man's eyes. As he lowered his fingertips upon the eyelids and slowly lowered them until they were closed over dull, unseeing eyes, he couldn't help but mutter two words that had been threatening to burst through his lips the moment he had maimed the man._

"_Forgive me."_

_Sighing once more, Tsuna stood up, stepped away from the dead man's corpse as he fished his phone out of his pocket, fumbling at the keys as he searched for one specific contact and pressed call._

_It took three rings before the call was answered._

"_I've finished the job, Nono."_

* * *

"So, I've heard that Iemitsu and Nana have gone to Hawaii for another one of their honeymoon escapades." The sound of porcelain china clinking against each other resounding with the quiet turning of a page accompanied Timoteo's voice as he lowered the teacup he had drank from back into the saucer. He turned curious ecru* eyes towards the brunet sitting on the chair on the opposite side of the table.

Tsuna lifted his head, gaze averting from a few copies of the documents he was given and told to read and study, and met with Timoteo's. "Yes, they left early this morning." He blinked. "Didn't dad tell you?"

"Oh, he told me; wouldn't stop babbling about it until yesterday, actually." Timoteo answered before grinning. "He just didn't tell me when he was actually leaving." He added and chuckled as he saw the expression on his successor's face. "I was only joking, Tsuna. No need to look so sour." He said. "He sent me a message just before they got on board the plane."

"I see..." Tsuna's eye twitched as he let Timoteo's words sink in and resisted the urge to bury his face into his hand. Sometimes he didn't know if the don was joking simply because he was bored or because the joke itself was an actual fact he had pulled out from one of his father's stupid antics. Seriously, sometimes he wondered how the two worked so well together when his father seemed like a lazy-ass, idiot of a drunkard and Timoteo a man who loved to joke and had a tendency to do spend a whole day gardening.**

But then, he thought to himself, he already knew the answer to that.

Turning his attention back to the older man sitting on the desk adjacent to the couch he was currently occupying, his brows slightly furrowed as he saw Timoteo still staring at him. "U-Um, is something wrong, Nono?" he asked, ignoring the almost immediate berating in his mind that Reborn would've kicked him straight in the face for stuttering in front of Timoteo, or anyone for that matter, really.

Timoteo didn't seem to mind though – that, or he just chose to ignore it. Again. – and merely shook his head whilst still keeping his eyes on him. "No, there is nothing wrong with me, Tsuna." He answered, mouth curving into a knowing smile. "However, I was wondering about you."

Tsuna blinked. "Me?"

"Yes." Timoteo answered, still smiling as he folded his hands on top of the table. "I've noticed something for the past couple of days and I wanted to talk to you about it." he explained. "Something's bothering you." he stated and saw the questioning look Tsuna gave him in return.

Tsuna paused, brows rising up in surprise at the don's words. "What – I don't-"

"You've been acting a little strange ever since our last meeting." Timoteo pointed out, sallow eyes catching the almost unnoticeable tensing of the brunet's back and shoulders, a stance that seemed almost defensive and would have easily gone unnoticed had it been anyone else but Timoteo who saw it. He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he kept a keen eye on his successor's facial expression and noted the thinning of the lips into a line and the sudden guarded expression in those chocolate brown eyes as the surprise quickly fell away and was replaced by a neutral expression.

"Nono, I..." Tsuna began to speak but his words trailed off as a sliver of hesitation managed to slip through his face. Timoteo softened at the teen's distress and let out an inaudible sigh.

"If you still do not want to talk about it, I understand, Tsunayoshi-kun." He added, sending a small smile at the brunet as Tsuna raised his eyes to meet his gaze. "Despite being a powerful man who holds the strongest famiglia in his hands, I do not simply force the people I care for to speak out their thoughts if they do not want to." He said as he took a sip of his tea. "Unless necessary, of course."

A few moments of silence passed between them and Timoteo let his gaze wonder out to the view of the woods surrounding the mansion, the red autumn leaves falling off from their branches and flutter in the wind for a moment before falling to the ground, covering the earth in a carpet of reds and browns. Tsuna seemed to be doing the same thing as him, clouded brown eyes staring past him and straight to the window, scattered documents forgotten on the table and his own cup of tea still completely neglected and untouched, unlike Timoteo's own that was now almost drained of its contents.

He briefly wondered what the teen could be thinking about, having such a clouded look in his eyes. Though, he supposed, he already had an idea; one that most likely involved a certain folder he had given the other a couple of days ago, containing specific information about a certain job he had received in the form of a request from an allied famigla, and was most likely sitting inside one of the many drawers of his successor's mahogany desk so similar to his own.

The loud clang of the grandfather clock rang in the room, the sound amplified by the silence. Timoteo averted his gaze from the window, sending a quick glance at the brunet sitting across from him before falling back on the table, and once again brought his cup to his lips to drink up the last of his tea.

"Is it really necessary?"

The quiet and sombre tone in that voice made him pause for just a second before Timoteo resumed his actions and returned his cup back down into the saucer, aged ecru eyes turning to look at the teen in front of him as he did so.

"We have already talked about this, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna turned to him, brown eyes meeting his gaze. "I still don't understand why it has to be done." he said.

Timoteo placed his arms on the table, hands folded together as he tilted his head in a curious manner. "Tell me then, what you don't understand about it." he watched as Tsuna flinched slightly and averted from his gaze for a split second before quickly returning to face him. "Why do I have to kill this man." he finally said, voice quiet. "Why do I have to kill?"

Chocolate brown eyes stared at him and for once, ever since he had decided to take the teen under his wing to directly teach him the workings of the famiglia, he finally saw them shine innocence – innocence that was not to be mistaken for naiveté – shining in those eyes together with uncertainty and hesitation and _fear_ – something that Timoteo knew, was a normal reaction for people who weren't born into their world. People who were normal; like Tsuna, who was born and raised far from the world of the mafia and was suddenly thrust smack dab into the middle of it and only beginning to understand the workings of their dark and dangerous world. Seeing those emotions running through the younger one, he did what was the most natural to him during such times.

He sighed.

"As I have explained before, the target had committed one of the gravest crimes, Tsunayoshi. And as a close ally of the Sebesta Famiglia, as well as being personally affiliated with the Sebesta don, we are bound to honour the request-"

"I already know that, Nono."

Sallow yellow stared at chocolate brown and Timoteo found himself sighing once more. "I do not know what else you want me to say then, Tsunayoshi. I have already explained to you the situation, and I am well aware that despite your reluctance in participating, you have already read the information I have given you several times." He said, voice serious with a hint of weariness that could only come from years of dealing with members who had the tendency to allow their deviancy to take over them and refuse to follow orders, members misbehaving during a job, or scolding his sons for doing something incredibly stupid, before giving his successor a pointed look. "What else do you want me to say?"

Tsuna cringed at the intensity of those yellow eyes but resisted the urge to look away. Doing so would be a show of weakness, an admittance of defeat, and in a situation like this where he had to speak up and take a stand, it was vital to meet his predecessor head on so that he could prove his point. "You only told me the reason why he had to be punished, to be killed; but you never told me _why_." He started. "I agree that what the target had done was unforgivable, and I understand the grievances that the Sebesta are going through but..." he paused, taking a quick intake of breath as he tried to meet Timoteo's gaze with the same intensity. "Is killing the only way of punishing him? Is there no other way? Is that always the answer in the mafia? Killing people? I understand that bloodshed has always been a part of the mafia, Nono; and sometimes murder is inevitable in certain situations. But I don't believe that that's the _only_ way to solve _everything_. There must be other ways that could serve as punishment.

"Killing, taking another person's life so willingly, so easy; isn't that... just – how could you decide to end a person's life like that?" he asked, a sliver of disgust managing to slip out and taint his voice and he realized that he was showing Timoteo something more than he had intended to. Calming himself, he took a breath and spoke again. "It's not right, Nono. Taking other people's lives; we are not gods who could decide on who gets to live and who has to die." He said, his voice becoming softer as he said the last words.

A look of exasperated weariness flashed across Timoteo's features before it was quickly replaced with calm neutrality. "I see." He said, inching his folded hands upon the table closer to him. "So you believe that death is not the only way. Then, let me ask you, Tsunayoshi," he paused, spending a couple of seconds to give the teen a levelled gaze.

"If I were to kill your family right now, what would you do?"

Tsuna's eyes widened at his predecessor's words. "Wh – What...?" was all he managed to say as he stared at the old don in disbelief.

"You heard me, Tsunayoshi. If I were to kill your family right now, what would you do?" Timoteo repeated his question as he silently sat up, back straight, shoulders squared and for a moment, it seemed as though Timoteo was not an old man, wrinkled and weary and was already facing the last chapters of his life, but a man who had an air of authority and confidence to bend the world to his will with the mere uttering of an order. And at the moment, Tsuna realized that it was no longer Timoteo who he was facing, but Vongola Nono himself.

"Tell me, Tsunayoshi. What would you do?" Timoteo continued nonchalantly. "Would you merely stand in shock, mind going blank as you stare at your mother's cold, decapitated body lying in her own blood? Or your father's mangled body, twisted and broken beyond recognition? Would you cry? Scream in pain and anguish as you hold their bodies, cold and lifeless, and realize that your family, your beloved parents are gone, wiped away from the face of the Earth for the rest of your life? Would you rage? Allow yourself to be engulfed by anger and resentment and pain? Would you attack me? Me who; your father loyally followed for years, and had treated you like my own grandson, like my own family. What would you do, Tsunayoshi? Would you hate me? Would you swear to avenge their deaths?" he asked with a rhetorical air as he spared Tsuna a glance. "Would you kill me?"

Tsuna stared, wide-eyed and speechless, at the don sitting behind the desk. "I..." he trailed off as his mind went blank at Timoeo's words. Would he? Would he actually consider killing the other? Would he turn to murder to avenge his parents? No. He didn't want to. He was certain of that. But if it were to happen, could he? Would he?

Seemingly ignorant of the brunet's internal conflict, Timoteo continued. "And what of your Guardians? If I gave an order to have them killed, wouldn't you stop me?" he tilted his head a little to the side as he watched Tsuna raise his head, eyes widening in horror as the colour drained from his face.

"What... why are yo-"

"And there are those girls you're fond of, the ones who live back in Namimori. Kyoko-chan and Haru-chan, right?"

"Nono-"

"What if they were dragged into the mafia as well? Brought here, wounded and bruised, and make them kneel in front of you-"

"Nono stop-"

"-crying and pleading to be released, until their throats are cut and their hearts torn out of their bodie-"

"STOP!"

The sound of a fist slamming against hard wood resounded in the room and Timoteo ceased, eyes staring blankly as Tsuna took several deep breaths, face pale and eyes wide, and turned to look at Timoteo with raw, unadulterated horror.

"...Why – Why are you suddenly saying this?!"

"Because you are acting too naive." Timoteo spoke; a flicker of something verging between disappointment and regret evident in his voice, and Tsuna averted his gaze to the floor. "Despite the fact that you had accepted your role in the famiglia, accepting to becoming my heir, you do not accept the darkness that comes with it. You cling to the notion that everyone will be able to live peacefully together as long as you gain understanding and empathy from one another, and learning from mistakes and creating friendships." Timoteo continued, the harsh words contrasting against his calm tone, and casted a grim look at the brunet. "The world is not so kind, Tsunayoshi. Your ideals can only take you so far until you are betrayed and hurt and broken beyond repair; and when that time comes you will realize that there is nothing in this world that can ensure the safety of those you hold dear except to eliminate them."

"_I will not kill._" Tsuna restated, livid with anger as his hands curled into fists on top of the dark mahogany coffee table, eyes blazing with fiery determination.

Timoteo seethed in his seat, his hands that were folded together on the table now gripping each other so tight it hurt as he restrained his temper to a cold, merciless glare. "I do not understand why you have such a strong aversion to killing others. Is the notion of staining your hands red with blood to protect others so repulsive to you that you would doom us all to death and betrayal? Or are you afraid that your conscience would not be able to handle having another's life upon your hands?" he spat. "Or is it that you would prefer to have your Guardians carry that burden for you? So that you can continue on living without having to worry about something that you had signed up for?"

"Do not bring my Guardians into this, Nono!" Tsuna shouted, fist slamming against the table which resounded throughout the room. "I accepted the role of your heir so that I can protect them and keep them away from the horrors of the mafia as much as I can with what power I have. I will not let you drag them into this!"

"Then what will you do, Tsunayoshi? You who can't even decide whether you want to accept or reject this simple mission I have given you!" Timoteo retorted back, smouldering yellow eyes glaring with cold anger. "Do you think you can protect your family with the way you are? You cannot even react to threats blatantly declared in front of you. It may seem honourable to be able to live in such a harsh world without having to kill, however such a notion would be meaningless if everyone you cherish is dead and gone." He concluded harshly.

Tsuna didn't respond and instead remained silent, opting to turn away from Timoteo and stare into the endless sea of red outside the window. He hated to admit it, but Timoteo was right. What _was_ the use of living in such a way when it meant that he would leave everyone he held dear vulnerable to threats and danger, when there was no one left to protect? Nothing. There was nothing. However, as sound as Timoteo's reasoning was, he also didn't think that murder was the only solution. If he did, what was the use of accepting his fate as Vongola Decimo? What was the use of promising to bring back Vongola to the way it had been during Primo's time if he would just resort to the same ways? If he were to carry on the previous acts of his predecessors, it was as if he consciously chose to continue the chain of blood and murder that was wrapped and coiled around the mafia. If that was so, then everything he had done, everything he had vowed and fought for, all of it would've been for nothing.

Timoteo watched Tsuna as he sat quietly, eyes blank and yet clouded with thoughts at the same time. He watched and observed the slightest shifts in movement and facial expression – something that had become second nature to him ever since he had become Vongola Nono – and had recognized the emotions swirling in those chocolate brown eyes. Emotions that for those who weren't skilled in reading others would've only thought that the brunet was merely ignoring them. However, to Timoteo it was clear and easy to see. Quietly, he let out a weary sigh and closed his eyes for a moment; leaning back into the backrest of his chair feeling his shoulders begin to slump against the cushioned wood and his arms slacken onto the arm rest as the heated argument that escalated only moments before now made him feel tired and drained and _old._

He stayed like that, sitting and breathing in silence while listening to the quiet ticking of the grandfather's clock standing at the other side of the room. Then he opened his eyes and his gaze met the ceiling, though his gaze looked distant, as if he were looking at something else that was far and beyond than the ceiling of the room. Then he spoke.

"There is nothing to be had when one is dead, only the lingering thoughts of what could have been."

His voice was quiet, weaker than his usual tone and yet louder than a whisper; and in his peripheral vision saw the faint movement of the brunet turning to look at him. Lowering his head, he was met with expressive brown eyes staring at him with confusion and curiosity.

"Those were my mother's words." Timoteo explained. "From a time so long ago... it is the one thing she said that I can remember vividly in my memories; the day my father died." He continued, his eyes retaining that distant look as he began to recall memories from years and years ago. "She was a very strong woman, my mother; headstrong and proud. Everyone held great respect and devotion to her and I had always admired her as a little boy. She was never one to hesitate as well. Always sure of herself and made swift decisions in times where most men would doubt and waver. She was calm and calculative and loved the famiglia so dearly. It was because of that love that she always made decisions that assured the safety of our men – or the most that she could save – without jeopardizing the mission." Timoteo paused, a sliver of fondness showing in his sallow eyes and his lips quirked into a small smile before it disappeared.

Tsuna remained silent; unsure of what to say, or if he should say anything at all. He had been confused when Timoteo started talking about his mother, the late Vongola Ottavo, and how she used to be when she was alive. However, he didn't want to disrupt the old don and ask the reason he was being told this. It was disrespectful and he was slightly curious as well as to where his predecessor was going with his tale. So he decided to remain silent and listen, and wait as Timoteo continued his story.

"She wasn't one to have regrets either." Timoteo continued, unaware of Tsuna's own thoughts and curiosity, and lowered his eyes for a moment; letting them linger over his wrinkled, aged hands folded on top of the table for a few seconds before he returned his gaze to the brunet. "That is, until my father was killed."

Tsuna stared at him in shock.

"It had been her only regret, she told me, that she hesitated to kill my father's killer." Timoteo continued; the fondness evident in his eyes earlier was now replaced by a grim and dark look. He let out a deep breath. "Can you guess why she hesitated, Tsunayoshi?" he asked and nodded lightly when Tsuna gave him a shake of his head. "She hesitated, because the man who killed my father was his best friend."

A silent moment fell between them before the old don continued. "Through the years she has known that man, she had never felt at ease in his presence. However, she had never made a move to figure out why, despite her suspicions, because she knew her husband's best friend was immensely loyal to him and that through the years she'd seem them together, he had never harmed my father." Timoteo closed his eyes and sighed. "But he did. And he succeeded. With his betrayal to the Vongola, he had taken along my father's life and crushed my mother's heart." Timoteo then met Tsuna's eyes, his own yellow ones grim and pained.

"I do not want you to experience the same fate."

Tsuna stared at Timoteo's words. He swallowed. "Nono..."

Timoteo shook his head, gaze lowering down onto his hands as he continued. "I am not forcing you to go through with these missions just because you are my heir, nor do I want it for you because you will be the head of the strongest mafia famiglia. I understand that for you who was not born into this world of ours, it may be against your own morals to bend and resort to our ways. However, Tsunayoshi," Timoteo raised his eyes, and Tsuna saw unguarded ecru eyes staring back at him. "I do not want you to go through the pain of losing a loved one just as my mother had lost her husband, nor my own when I lost my sons."

The old don sighed, heavy and weary, as his gaze gained a hint of something close to apologetic. "I hope you understand, Tsunayoshi."

Tsuna met Timoteo's stare and kept it for a moment before he averted his eyes to look elsewhere. He understood. He understood it too well. And to be honest, he had an inkling that their conversation would've ended in a similar direction, the moment Timoteo had brought up the topic of the mission. However he didn't really expect that he'd hear something about Vongola Ottavo's past; and after listening until the end of the tale, he could somehow sympathize with his predecessor. After all, Timoteo had three sons – three sons who were assassinated by hitmen who either had a grudge or were targeting Vongola through the heirs – and he understood Timoteo's reasoning of resorting to murder to protect the famiglia. They would all be safe, after all, if there were no one to threaten their safety and peace.

He also had a feeling – more of a hunch, actually – that Nono told him Ottavo's story for another reason. Hesitation would only lead to devastation. In the world of the mafia, there was no governing rule over them all, only the survival of the fittest where the strong lived and the weak died. In the four years he had been in the mafia, Tsuna had already learned that showing even the slightest of weaknesses could lead to defeat or even death; and hesitation was one of those weaknesses. If one lets doubt cloud his thoughts, wavers for a split second, _hesitates for the kill_, they either get mortally wounded or die. And Tsuna understood that he is vulnerable for such instances. Because his is kind to his family, to his friends, and even to his enemies, and his bound by the morals harboured by those who do not live in the dark. He knew that what happened to Vongola Ottavo could and would definitely happen to him if he continued on without having to accept the fact that he must learn to be cold and cruel at certain times, just so that he could protect those he held dear.

It was a cruel fate, to be part of the mafia, but it was one that he had taken upon himself of his own free will. And if in the end, he was meant to bear the same pain as his predecessors, then he will do everything in his power to at least try and lessen it.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I understand." He sighed and opened his eyes, levelly meeting Timoteo's stare, and continued. "I will accept this mission, and the others to come." He said calmly.

Timoteo seemed to be taken aback by his response and merely stared at him for a moment. "Tsunayoshi..."

"However," Tsuna continued, his own hands placed on top of the table tightly gripped each other and he squared his shoulders as a show of his own determination. "Please do not think that just because I am accepting this it would mean that I have accepted your way of doing things. I still abhor the act of murder, and no matter how many times you ask me to do it I will never grow accustomed to it let alone resort of using it as if it was normal." He never will. "I will accept this way of protecting my family, but that is only until I can find a way to protect them on my own terms."

Timoteo narrowed his eyes. "Without having to kill?"

"Without having to kill," Tsuna reaffirmed; his voice steady and head held high.

Nono seemed to consider his answer as a contemplative look crossed his face for a moment before giving a single nod at his words. "Very well. I accept your decision."

After hearing those words, Tsuna let out a breath and allowed his shoulders to sag a little. "Thank you, Nono." He said, to which Timoteo gave him another nod.

And as if that was the sign that everything was over, their argument ended and both had fallen into a comfortable silence. Tsuna had returned to quietly inspecting the documents he had been busy with moments earlier while Timoteo merely continued to gaze outside the window and watch the red leaves of autumn fall down to the ground. The grandfather clock standing on the opposite site of the room chimed after some time, signalling that another hour has passed, and both Timoteo and Tsuna turned to look at it as it finally broke the silence that pervaded the room.

"It's almost time." Tsuna mumbled before he turned his attention back to the old don. "I'm afraid I have to take my leave, Nono. There's only a couple of hours left, and these documents need to be returned to the records before I have to leave." He explained as he began gathering the scattered documents and letters that lay on the table.

Timoteo nodded and watched the brunet collect everything with calm calculating eyes. Despite what he had said earlier, there was still a hesitant air with the way Tsuna moved; and though it could also be seen as a serious expression, he knew that the slight downturn of the brunet's lips still indicated his direct repulsion of what he had to do. However now, Timoteo was certain that despite that, Tsuna would still continue on. After all, the boy always kept his word – a rare trait that every don should have.

As he watched Tsuna stand up from his seat, documents carefully held in one hand, he sincerely hoped that what he had said earlier would come true.

Such a kind boy didn't deserve to suffer like he had.

"Tsunayoshi-kun." He called, and Tsuna stopped just as he had reached for the knob. "Do you regret it?" He asked and Tsuna blinked his brows furrowing slightly as a mix between a confused and curious look crossed his features.

"Regret what?" The brunet asked.

"Do you regret becoming a part of Vongola?"

Timoteo kept his eyes on his heir and watched and waited for the minute changes in his facial expression and body language.

"No."

Tsuna met his stare, his chocolate brown eyes keeping contact with Timoteo's yellow ones, and it was then that Timoteo saw what he was looking for. Sincere honesty. A smile slowly made its way to his face and Timoteo gently waved the teen off. "I see. Thank you for answering my question. You may go now." He said.

No longer looking confused but still retaining a sliver of curiosity in those brown eyes, Tsuna nodded and gave a small bow. "I'll be leaving then." He muttered quietly before he opened the door and closed it behind him, the click of the door resounding in the now quiet room.

Timoteo let his eyes linger on the door for a moment before he let out a heavy sigh and returned his gaze to the sea of red and orange outside, a wistful whisper leaving his lips.

"Really, such a kind boy..."

He really wished what the boy said would come true.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

*Ecru is a shade of yellow that almost looks brown. I've been staring at Timoteo's picture for a while trying to figure out what colour his eyes were because a friend said it was yellow and it was but not exactly the kind of yellow I usually see and after some more staring and getting tired of figuring it out myself, I Googled it and found that ecru was the closest I could find to match it.

**It's a weird headcannon of mine that Timoteo can spend a whole day(or more) gardening after seeing him emerge from a row of potted plants in that one chapter in the Arcobaleno Arc in the manga. After all, everyone needs a hobby. Even powerful mafia dons. lol

By the way, some of you might get confused with the beginning. I wrote it with the intention of showing the present first and then switching to the past event that entailed the present scene. In this case, the first part which I had italicized is the present where Tsuna finally finished the job Nono had given him while the next scene was the past(or rather the afternoon) where Timoteo and Tsuna had argued over the job and promted Tsuna to finally agree and go along with it.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. It's one of those half-written/not-really-finished oneshots I had scattered around in my desktop(because keeping them all in a folder is too mainstream lol) and after finding some time to go over them finally decided to finish this one.

Reviews are highly appreciated~

P.S. I'm also really sorry again for those of you who are reading my other story The Last Sky. I've been really busy with life in general and my mind's pretty occupied by a lot of things but I really am working on the next chapter. I've got a third of it done so I'd probably be able to get it posted soon.


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